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Planning approval secured at Millbay, Plymouth

An updated masterplan setting out future phases in the transformation of Millbay - one of the largest regeneration projects in the south of England - has been approved by Plymouth’s planners.

Millbay’s lead developer English Cities Fund (ECf) – a joint venture between Muse Developments, Legal & General and the Homes & Communities Agency (HCA) - submitted the outline planning application for the regeneration area to update and replace the current masterplan which was granted outline planning permission by Plymouth City Council in 2008.

Focused around the historic former docks built by the Victorian engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel, the Millbay scheme is an exciting mix of residential, leisure, business and retail development, with high quality public spaces and direct access to the waterfront.

Significant progress has already been made in delivering the original masterplan vision of bringing new life back to the area including, either completed or currently under construction:

407 homes - including the award-winning Cargo development, followed by Cargo 2 and work currently well under way on the latest phase, Quadrant Quay

4,000 sqm of business and retail space

A new Plymouth School of Creative Arts for 1000 pupils aged 4-16 years

The new 171-berth King Point Marina

The start of a new boulevard, Isambard Brunel way, that will ultimately connect Millbay with the city centre

Repairs to the listed dock walls and quaysides

Major marine, infrastructure and groundworks improvement across the whole site

The revised outline planning application, which was unanimously approved by Plymouth City Council’s Planning Committee on Thursday April 9, sets a course for the completion of the regeneration, including up to 600 new homes, up to 12,500 sqm of offices and 8,600 sqm of retail/ leisure space, a hotel and a multi-storey car park together with associated engineering works, highway improvements, public realm and landscaping.

Duncan Cumberland, development director for Muse Developments, which is one of the partners in ECf, said: “English Cites Fund and its partners are committed to further investment in the regeneration of Millbay and we have worked closely with the local authority to bring the masterplan to this point, so we are very pleased with this decision which allows us to move forward with clarity on the scheme.

“With the completion of Cargo 2 and the Plymouth School of Creative Arts, and work nearing completion on Quadrant Quay, the development of Millbay has gathered real momentum - and done so during a time in the economic cycle when many other schemes had stalled.

“The new Millbay masterplan takes into account the development which has already taken place and how future development will complete the regeneration of the area as a vibrant residential and cultural quarter as well as a key waterfront destination for Plymouth, as Britain’s Ocean City.”